Mariners to start 45-year-old Ichiro Suzuki in Wednesday's opener

By

Matt Loede

Ichiro Suzuki will take the field in the starting lineup for the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday when they open the season in the Toyko Dome against the Oakland A's, the team confirmed Monday. File Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI | License Photo

March 18 (UPI) -- The Seattle Mariners will have a longtime familiar face, Ichiro Suzuki, in the lineup when the team opens the season at the Toyko Dome on Wednesday.

Monday Mariners manager Scott Servais confirmed that the 45-year-old Suzuki will be in the starting lineup for the team when they take on the Oakland A's.

"Ichiro is going to start for us in the first game against the A's," Servais said. "He's playing fine in the outfield. Obviously, he showed plenty of arm strength tonight on that one throw to third base. He'll start the game and we'll see how it plays out from there.

"I'm excited for him. It hasn't been a great spring training for him offensively, but if there's anybody who can turn it on for a few days, it's certainly Ichiro."

An entire nation will be watching as the legendary longtime Mariner steps to the plate and takes the field, as many turned out to watch him over the weekend in a pair of Mariners exhibition wins over the Yomiuri Giants -- the first time Ichiro has played in Japan since 2012.

Ichiro was 0-for-6 in the two exhibition games, and this spring has struggled, going just 2-for-31 (.080).

When he takes the field Wednesday, Ichiro will officially be the second oldest player in the Majors to play on opening day, behind only Julio Franco, who was 78 days older when he started for the Atlanta Braves at first base to start the 2004 campaign.

It remains to be seen if Ichiro will remain on the roster very long if he does not start hitting. While the team promised him a roster spot in Japan if he stayed healthy this spring, Seattle did not guarantee him anything beyond that.

For now, Ichiro is expected to start in right field for Wednesday's opener.